Brunettes and Barbies
by ayelles
Summary: Future Fic. RyanSummer. "How cute. The beautiful dark haired woman with his beautiful blue eyed baby." Please R&R!
1. One

**Just an idea that wouldn't leave my head.**

The cigarette was a comfortable feeling around his lips, but the sun was an unpleasant stab into his eyes. He stood outside the ridiculously large mall, leaning against the planter boxes by the main entrance. He checked his watch yet again and wondered where they were.

She called that morning, a warning that she would be late, but when wasn't she late? He didn't blame her, she worked. Hard. Even after giving up so much.

Deep inside, he knew she resented him. It was their baby, their child. He paid for the pre-natal care and she suffered nine months of bloating and nausea. He held her hand and listened to the doctors while she endured fourteen hours of labor. He kissed her forehead, held the baby in his arms and said, "Do you want me to stay?"

It was her choice to say no. From the moment he asked the question he knew she'd say no. Because that's just how Theresa was. She wouldn't admit that she wanted him there to raise their child. Especially not if he had to ask.

The odd part was, that it was never his choice to ask. If it had been up to him, he would have moved his bed into the nursery and listened to the baby sleep all day long. He loved her from her first breath.

Even when the Cohens dragged him back to Newport, he counted the minutes before he could drive back and see her. Hold her in his arms. Kiss the roundness of her cheeks. His daughter. Ella Atwood.

Now he was waiting for her. He was willing to bet that Ella arrived sleeping, and Theresa arrived looking frazzled, pushing the stroller with one hand and rumaging through the baby back with another. She always arrived like that and it hurt him to see.

They were twenty one now. Ella was four. Ryan was almost done with his third year at UCSB. Theresa was waitressing through days and going to community college classes at night. Ella lived in the apartment with Theresa right by the UCSB campus. They pretended to be a family, at least for Ella's sake.

Ella, Ella. Ella Enchanted. Somewhere in Junior High, Theresa fell in love with the book. Out loud, she called it "Stupid Cinderella fantasy" but Ryan noticed that it never left her bedside table. He called his baby girl Ella Enchanted. And she giggled and squealed. Daddy's little princess.

Now he was at the entrance of the mall, stepping on his cigarette, checking his watch. Waiting anxiously for his turn to take care of his daughter.

--------------------X--------------------------

Though Ryan had expected Theresa to be late, he hadn't expected anyone else to show up at the mall. At least, no one he knew. They were all over the country now- his friends. Seth in New York. Marissa in Miami. Luke in Portland. Anna in Pittsburgh. Summer in San Francisco. Everyone else in Chino.

But a brunette, in a denim mini skirt and an orange cardigan, tapped his shoulder as he stood waiting for his daughter.

"Summer?!"

"Hey Chino," she smiled. "You go to malls?" It was the first joke, the first anything he had heard from Summer in quite a while. In fact, he had barely kept in contact with her after graduation. It might have had something to do with her disasterous break up with Ryan's psuedo-brother.

"Yeah," he said with a smile. The smile was genuine, like most things about Ryan.

"So what are you doing here?" She squinted in the sunlight. "From what I remember, you weren't a big fan of shopping." They laughed. Hers was light and airy, his was a respectful chuckle. Sometimes small talk was a good thing.

It was just small talk.

"I'm actually waiting for my..." He trailed off as he caught sight of something in the distance. A miniscule blur of pink came rushing towards him, crashing against his legs and holding on tightly to his worn out jeans.

"Daddy Daddy Daddy Daddy!" the little dark haired creature squealed. "Daddy!"


	2. Two

Her eyes danced as she watched her daughter giggling enthusiastically in Ryan's arms. He was such a good father. Everything came naturally to him, it scared Theresa at times. She knew that maternal instinct would take over after Ella was born, and it did. It was wonderful, the sense of connection to another living being. It was overwhelming. Each time she looked at Ella's wide blue Atwood eyes, Theresa saw nothing but love. She couldn't stop loving Ella, she'd rather die. It was the mother in her.

But she had counted on that. She expected the maternal connection. Never did she even think about the Daddy-Daughter connection. And you had to be blind, deaf and unfeeling if you didn't notice the Daddy-Daughter connection from the very start.

It was everywhere. It was even more apparent and perhaps stronger than Theresa's mother-offspring connection. Ryan used to walk into the nursery two seconds before Ella started to cry. He stood waiting with open arms as she took her first steps. He'd get her apple juice ready before she tugged at his sleeve. He just knew.

It was kind of like the way he used to know Theresa.

He knew her from up to down and inside out and back again. At least the way he used to know her. Now, she kept things from him. It wasn't so much because she wanted to but because she needed to. Ryan, despite what he thought of himself, was very fragile. And telling him things like she was working instead of going to school at night would only hurt him. And hurt was the last thing he needed.

"Mamma!" Ella called out signaling for her mother to snap back into reality.

"Hey baby," she placed a delicate kiss atop her daughter's head. "You and Daddy have fun this weekend alright? Mamma's got lots of work to do. Be good for Daddy, okay Ella?" Her fingers traced the roundness of the child's face.

"Okay Mamma," Ella promised. "I love you!"

===========X=========X===========

Summer got out of Newport as fast as she could when graduation was over. She thought that the cap and gown thing would make her sentimental and regret her decision to move. But it didn't. Listening to P.J. Macken give his rendition of a good valedictorian speech just brought on the will to run. Run away from Newport and all the phony goodness that came with it. Father and stepmom included.

San Francisco was everything she wanted. Change.

She hung out with everyone there, all previous class issues cast aside. And truth be told, she had the most fun in her life. Castro street was probably the only place where her lost little girl self came out and was taken care of.

But now, college was over. It was goodbye Stanford mall, B.A.R.T rides to downtown and the hot cocoa at Ghiradelli square. And here she was, back in the O.C.

In all the scenarios of her homecoming, the mall was always her first destination. Seeing Ryan (best friend of Seth Cohen) Atwood, however, was never in those scenarios. But there he was now. With an angelic little girl in his arms and a very tired looking woman speaking animatedly to him.

"Don't let her finagle you in buying any _juegetes. _She doesn't really need anything right now, except maybe _zapatillas_. But I can get those later because I'm sure she'll get you to buy more than she needs." The little girl must be a little shopper. Her mom had to hide "toys" and "shoes" from her. Theresa used Spanish to keep secrets from the child. Summer's mom used to do that, except in French. It was just as Summer remembered her mother that it hit her. Theresa was a mom. Ryan was a father.

It was kind of creepy. They were her age and she couldn't even fathom having to care for someone other than herself.

But as the scene unfolded before her, she noticed the details. The details, like the way Theresa's hand rubbed ever so gently on the little girl's shoulder and the way the little one sat perfectly on the crook of Ryan's arm. Summer turned invisible for a moment, blending into the walls and watching. She watched the little family in awe.

How she envied them.

==========X=========X===========

"We'll be fine," Ryan insisted as Theresa continued to list of a dozen reminders about Ella. He knew that she was always nervous when their daughter was with him, but he knew that she was aware of how much he loved Ella. She knew how well Ryan and Ella got along.

"Um..." It was obvious that the mother was hesitant to leave the child. "Okay then. 'Bye Ry." She smiled sheepishly, still the same old smile. He never thought of her beauty as fascinating or extraordinary. It was just simple, like home. He leaned in and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. She smiled again and turned to leave.

His eyes stayed with her until she turned the corner, it wasn't that she captivated him, he just wanted to make sure she was okay. That was his life now, constantly worrying about his daughter and her mother. Funny how his best friend turned into his "baby-mama". They were still friends. Close friends. Best friends. But Ella was the priority.

"Daddy, I'm hungry." She announced, tilting her head slightly as she spoke. Those large blue eyes were impossible to resist.

"Okay honey, let me just grab your stuff." He set her down for a moment and picked up the small backpack Theresa had left behind. She probably put in some extra clothes, a baggie of animal crackers and some apple juice boxes. Ryan knew that that the clothes weren't needed, he had lots of Ella's clothes at his place. He also knew that he would be the one eating the animal crackers and apple juice later. It took less than a minute for Ella to convince him that a Happy Meal was the only way to make her happy.

"You're pretty," he heard his daughter say. For some reason, he knew immediately that she wasn't talking to him. He turned and saw Summer crouched down and smiling at his daughter.

He had completely forgotten Summer was there.

Looking at his old friend crouched down, tan legs contrasting the red of the brick floor, he was floored by how much she'd changed. Sure, she was the same dark haired, large eyed short little rich girl from before. It's just that, he could tell she wasn't.

Something softened on her touch, breakable exterior. What had college done to her? He looked on intently for a moment. His baby girl was giggling with someone he didn't even really know, but the possessive paranoid father instincts didn't click on.

How cute. The beautiful dark haired woman with his beautiful blue eyed baby.


	3. Three

Ryan never actually liked malls.

It was a mixture of the artificial façade of everything around him and the creepy perfection of all the mannequins that just made him uneasy. He hated taking Ella here. She was still a kid; she needed to be outside. Playing hopscotch on the pavement, swimming at the community pool, swinging around on a jungle gym.

But his baby loved the mall. She let go of his hand and raced rounds through every store before he even managed to step through the threshold. Her fingers traced delicately along the fabric of different clothes. She stared in awe of the blown up, airbrushed ads. She grabbed armloads of different outfits and forced him to wait, while she tried all of them on.

He never complained. Just sitting back, mentally accounting to see what he could afford, he could never wipe the smile away.

Ella just made him smile.

She was perfect in every way. It was such a "father" thing for him to say. Even Theresa smacked him on the arm when he said it too often. But he couldn't look down at those large blue eyes and dark curls and not smile.

Her laughter was infectious, her tears tore him up inside. Every time he hugged her, it was more difficult to let go.

"Daddy!" her voice snapped him back to reality. "Let's go!"

Looking at his impatient little girl, he smiled again. She stood at the entrance of Gap Kids, holding Summer with one hand and using the other to gesture for Ryan to hurry up. He jogged over quickly and took her other hand. Summer winked at him just as they entered the store. Suddenly he felt very, very out of place.

Summer was a surprise. She had always been, be it when she continuously called him Chino or when she fell in love with Seth Cohen. When she left for San Francisco, no one believed that she had really gone. Everyone expected her to run back to Newport every chance she got, but this was the first time in years she was even in the area.

She was still the same Summer in that sense- she did as she pleased.

He had always admired that about her. And now he couldn't help but admire her gentle demeanor around Ella. Most people couldn't stomach four year olds for too long, but Summer's smile hadn't faltered since she laid eyes on his daughter. In fact, there was a light in her eyes every time Ella laughed. He knew that light, it happened to him too.

XXX

"So Ryan, how's everything been?" Summer dropped the question nonchalantly, but it was obvious that she really was interested in the answer.

"Okay," he replied, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans. He sat nervously next to her as the two waited for Ella to come out of the dressing room. They had just spent the past hour at Gap Kids, Gymboree and now, at the children's department of Macys. The girls seemed to have boundless energy, while he was beginning to feel the fatigue.

"Okay?" For some reason Summer couldn't believe he summed up four years with one word. That was sparse, even for Ryan.

"Yeah."

He didn't know what else to say but from the look on her face, he could tell she expected more.

"I'm graduating UC Irvine next spring. I work for Kirsten's company part time. I'm 22. I have a four year old daughter who lives with me part time in my bachelor pad." Both he and Summer laughed as Ryan made air quotes when for the phrase bachelor pad. It wasn't really that funny, but they both knew it was out of character for him.

"She's four?"

"Yeah," he smiled. "Four years, eight months and three days."

"Wow, you really are a dad." She laughed.

"I never thought it would feel like this. I knew that I'd protect her and Theresa with my life. I still will. But the moment I saw her, I knew she was mine. Not just biologically but really... mine." He paused for a moment, as if to register what he had just said. Then, after some thought added, "She's my purpose."

"Wow, Chino. That's deep."

He shrugged in reply. "What have you been up to?"

"What haven't I been up to?"

XXX

Ella sat happily on her father's lap as he continued to talk to his friend. She wasn't sure who the woman was, or how her dad knew him, but she was fun to be around. Usually, her father was the most impatient shopper. He hated malls and would refuse to go to all the shops she wanted- even when her mother was around.

Today Ryan was definitely more relaxed. For the first time in a while, he was with someone who didn't completely expect him to be the mature Ryan he had become. Summer knew him from when he was still a kid- even back then he felt older than her but at least he didn't have to worry about her expectations of him.

Theresa, who knew him through the awkwardest of ages, now treated him with all sorts of expectations. He fathered her child and he needed to be a grown up. It wasn't a comfortable position. Of course he took the responsibility. But he hated the expectations that came along with it.

He had spent the past half hour listening to Summer ramble about her different adventures in San Francisco. Pretty soon, he felt as though he knew Pablo the bouncer and Antoine the financial analyst.

"Daddy, can I go get more juice?" Ella looked up at her father and noticed how different he looked. He seemed a lot younger than usual. There was something about him that made him seem less like Dad and more like a big kid.

Ella wasn't sure what was going with her father. But she knew it was a good thing. Maybe they needed to keep the dark haired lady for a while.


	4. Four

Two yawns and a lot of whining made it obvious that Ella needed her nap. Ryan sensed it and started heading for the mall exit.

"We've got to get going, or else someone's going to throw a tantrum," Ryan whispered to Summer, who smiled politely. Inside she knew that she didn't want them to go. Chino and his kid had been more fun than she expected. It had been more fun in Newport than she could remember. It had been fun. Period.

Ryan looked over at Summer, who fiddled with the buttons of her cardigan as she walked. When they first met, when they first started getting along, he was convinced that she was the type of girl that he needed to stay away from. The one that would make him feel inferior all the time – she still called him Chino after all. But now, that was a term of endearment rather than an insult. And this past few hours had been fun. Ella had fun, Summer had fun, Ryan was confused by all the fun, but he knew he enjoyed it as well.

Suddenly, the little girl in his arms felt a lot heavier than before. The Daddy senses in him urged him to tuck her into the little bed in his apartment and watch infomercials til she woke up again.

But that wasn't what Ryan wanted.

He wanted to hang out with Summer some more.

Why? He didn't understand it. Maybe he was just lonesome. Lonesome for company that was his age. Company that was his age that wasn't the mother of his child. Company that was female. Company with a smile that shone almost as bright as Ella's.

"So, you're going?" Summer's voice even sounded bright.

"She needs to nap." Why did he sound so lame?

"Okay..." she bit her lip, wondering whether or not she should just let him go. She decided against it. "Do you want to hang out some more later?"

"Sure!" he replied almost too quickly. In his head he scolded himself for sounding so eager. It wasn't like he liked Summer. Of course, he liked Summer. But not like that. His thoughts rambled together.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I had fun this afternoon."

"Me too... Ella's really great."

"You just like her because she's a potential shopaholic." He smirked and she burst into a fit full of giggles. He couldn't help but smile, not because he thought he was funny but because she found him funny. What was this? Ryan couldn't possibly be feeling this ridiculous over Summer. It was Summer.

"I loved clothes from the moment I left the womb. Some kids are just like that." Summer added when she had finished laughing. Her smile soon disappeared when she realized that they had finally reached the mall exit.

"So, uh, I'll see you later?" Ryan asked, insecurely. "You still have my cell number, right? I'll text you directions to my place. I doubt she'll be conscious for the next three hours or so." He patted his daughter's dark curls gently as the little one snuggled against his broad shoulder.

"Okay, sure." Summer replied, patting Ella's shoulder.

Looking past Ella, she stared into Ryan's eyes. Deep blue, but bright at the same time. He returned her stare and awkwardly, they stayed immobile. Two adults with a child standing between them.

XXX

The fifteen minute car ride to his apartment seemed to last mere moments to Ryan. He was still caught up in wonderment. He hadn't felt this young since before Ella, since before Newport was ever a part of his life. With his sleeping daughter next to him, he began to feel pangs of guilt.

She was his source of happiness. But deep in his heart, he knew that she was also the reason for why he felt so old. He wasn't blaming her, he never could. Facts were facts. Theresa's pregnancy forced Ryan to take that final leap into adulthood and never look back.

Cradling his daughter's head, he trudged up three flights of stairs as smoothly as he could. When Ella woke up, it was always a mission to get her to fall back asleep. Luckily, she stayed in Dreamland while he opened up the door to his one bedroom apartment and laid her on top of his blue comforter.

He sat next to her for a few moments, listening to her breathe, not because he was scared she might stop – though that had haunted him in her first year of life, but because he loved her. "At least I know you love me," Theresa used to say when she woke up to find him staring at her. She always told him that it was a sign of love if you could be content watching someone sleep. And for the past few years, Ryan's life seemed perfectly whole watching his daughter sleep.

He didn't watch her for long though, after a matter of minutes there was a slight vibration in his pocket. Ryan sat up immediately and groped his chest pocket for his cell phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey Ryan, its me." The voice was familiar and female, but he couldn't place it. "Summer."

"What's up, Sum?"

"Uh, you said you'd give me directions to your place?" He did? Oh yeah, because she was coming over. Oh God, she was coming over. Did he have time to clean? Where was she now?

"Sure! Where are you now?" Why was he sounding so eager? He looked around the apartment quickly, noted the corners that needed to be straightened and figured he could fix things before she came over.

"I'm at my dad's place actually." That was about twenty minutes away. He gladly gave her directions while walking around and kicking random stacks of books and folders into his closet. Ryan had always been neat- he never really had a choice growing up, if he left something lying around it was as good as gone. Dad or Mom would throw it out in one of their drunken fits, Trey would steal it, Theresa would "borrow" it – she needed to learn to return things even now, or one of Trey's friends would just take it. Now that he lived alone, he couldn't break his old habits of perfectly ordered piles and organized everything.

"Got that?" He asked after he listed the several turns and streets that were needed to get to his apartment.

"Sure, see ya in a bit!" Ryan could practically hear her smile.

"See ya," he replied- not being able to help it, he smiled as well.

This would be a fun visit.


	5. Five

**Author's Note: omg, i'm so sorry for the mix-up about this chapter. i had no idea until i read the reviews that i had posted the wrong chapter up. i'm so sorry. :( i promise more chapters soon. sorry, college apps have taken over my life.**

He always teased her for snoring, but she never did. She was the vision of an angel to him, even more so when she was asleep. With her dark lashes spread over her pillow soft cheeks and her hands curled across her tiny chest, he felt the need to watch over her forever. To keep her close and safe. To make sure she smiled.

When Ella entered the world, Ryan's heart was being ripped in too many directions.

The Cohens pleaded with him constantly to come back to Newport. To go back to school. To go home.

Theresa didn't plead with him. She never even asked him to stay. In truth, she never asked him to leave Newport in the first place. She never needed to. Ryan would do anything she asked of him, anything he knew she needed. He could always tell- until Ella was born.

That day, Theresa drenched in sweat sleeping soundly on the hospital bed. Ella wrapped in miles of soft pink blankets, fast asleep in her bassinet. Ryan forgot what it meant to be sad. What it meant to be worried or concerned for anything except his blue eyed doll wrapped in her pink blankets.

Ella was everything. Ryan could never tear himself away from her, not when she was with Theresa, not while he was at school. She was the constant face in his mind. The constant laughter that rang in his ears.

So why was it, that with his life's joy asleep in front of him, he was thinking of someone else?

XXX

Summer was never Ryan's favorite Newport person. He first met her as "Seth's Crush". And then she developed into "Marissa's Best Friend". Then she became "Seth's Girlfriend". And soon enough, was "Seth's Ex-Girlfriend".

To Summer, Ryan had always just been "Chino". At first Ryan wasn't sure how to take the nickname. It seemed almost derogatory the first few times Summer mumbled it under her breath. A dirty place that she would never step food in. But in due time, it became just another Summer-ism, as Seth dubbed it. Chino was Ryan. Ryan was Chino. It was simple to her.

Ryan didn't understand many things about Summer- her need for platform shoes and seaweed wraps, why she loved Seth, why she left Seth, why she left Newport- but he understood how some things were just simpler than how everyone perceived them to be. His silence was a simple thing – he didn't like to talk. Everyone else sought deeper meanings to it. But it was simple. The same way that he was Chino. To her it was simple. And he could respect that.

What wasn't so simple right now, was Ryan's anxiousness. He sat on the foot of his own bed, watching his baby girl sleep. To any father, it would have been a relaxing and peaceful activity. Yet his hands twisted unto one another and his leg continuously bounced on and off the ground.

Summer was coming over to his apartment. Summer had just spent the afternoon shopping with him. She spent the afternoon playing with his daughter and livening up his day. Summer was coming over to his apartment. Summer was going to be there soon.

He smiled to himself, shaking his head. Maybe he needed to spend more time with people his own age. One interaction and he was shaking with delight. That wasn't right. Especially since it had been with Summer. Yes, that was it. He was just excited about being someone his own age. His friend. Exactly.

XXX

Halfway to Chino's apartment, she just wanted to speed back unto the freeway and head to San Francisco. But she never did. She just steered the blue BMW down the roads that Ryan had dictated over the phone and searched for the "blue one" as Ryan so articulately described.

His quiet nature had gotten on her nerves back in high school. But at the mall, it had been a great relief. Since she had returned to Newport she was surrounded by nothing but her father's endless lectures and the stepmother's annoying gossip. The malls even seemed loud. Ryan was a huge sigh of relief.

She had glimpsed for a moment, how he spoke with his eyes. It was in the moment that he thought she hadn't been looking that she saw the real Ryan.

Summer had been sitting on a bench, watching as Ryan searched the Disney Store for his daughter. And as he turned to her direction, for just a second, she saw everything he was thinking.

He was twenty two. Her age. He had a four year old daughter. He had an apartment. He was trying his best to continue at college. He was tired of being grown up. He was grown up. He was so many more things than anyone could expect him to be and still he wanted to be more.

His eyes said that.

She saw it and understood it. She knew that Ryan was someone she wanted to be around now. She knew that there was something about him that made her comfortable. She knew that it would be good to be around him. She knew that it would definitely be good.

"The blue one," she scoffed pulling the car over. "Like, that's so periwinkle."

XXX

"So Chino, this is where you live?"

He looked at her and nodded. She had been in the apartment for almost five minutes and asides from "hello" this was the only comment she had made.

"It's nice," she said with a smile, but the wrinkle in her nose made it obvious that there were different adjectives she wanted to use.

"Nice?" he challenged her. He knew she couldn't keep her sweet façade up for long. A Summer-ism would soon emerge.

"Well, like, you totally need a decorator," she said matter of factly. "But as of right now, it's nice."

"Thanks Summer." He gave a half smile. "I think." He hadn't meant to be funny, but she giggled in return. "What is it?" His eyes confused at her laughter.

"You're studying architecture and this place is so Spartan. Kind of ironic, don't you think?"

"Architecture and interior design are two separate things." It was his turn to sound self assured and knowledgeable.

"Oh." He couldn't help but smile as she realized her mistake. "Well, if you're nice, I'll help you decorate."

"What do you mean if I'm nice?" his voice was defensive. "I'm always nice!"

He gestured to the room, in a kind reminder that he had invited her to his home. That had definitely been a nice gesture. He even cleaned up – himself as well as the house. A new black polo shirt sat snugly against his shoulder and his legs were hidden beneath a clean pair of jeans. As always, he looked effortlessly good. And this time, Summer noticed.

"Yeah, yeah." She rolled her eyes. "If you're so nice, you won't mind if I grab a Coke?"

She didn't bother to wait for an answer but made her way from the living room couch which they had been sitting on, to the small kitchenette adjacent to it. Opening the refrigerator she pushed aside boxes of apple juice and a case of beer, poking around for a Coke.

"You don't have Coke?"

He stayed silent. She raised an eyebrow.

"You don't have Coke?"

He looked her straight in the eye and replied, "I'm a bachelor with a four year old."

Involuntarily a fountain of giggles burst through her lips. "Oh, I've missed you Chino."


	6. Six

They sat quietly on the couch for a while. Neither was quite sure of what to say, what was appropriate conversation for the two of them. She hoped that he didn't mention Marissa. He wondered if she still thought about Seth. They both knew well enough to not talk about Theresa, especially with her child in the next room.

"So you still see the Cohens a lot?" she asked finally, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, I still work at ALS, Kirsten's firm - it used to be Newport Group, remember? They changed the name for legal reasons but the company's pretty much the same. She's been doing really well." The words seemed to flow naturally but there was a hint of caution in them.

"And Sandy?"

"Sandy's had a hard time dealing with his mother's death-"

"The Nana?!" Shock and dismay coated Summer's words.

"Oh yeah, you knew her too." Ryan whispered in realization.

"Last June, Sandy went to New York and brought her back here. She lived at their place for a while. Nurses. Doctors. Everything." He swallowed. "She's one of the toughest women I've ever met."

Summer closed her eyes for a moment, her mind flashed back the memory of the Jewish firecracker she met all those years ago. When she opened her eyes again, Ryan could see the glimmer of tears.

"Was she..." Summer's voice cracked.

She bit her lip, hoping not to cry, wondering if Ryan found her strange for crying over a woman she had only met once.

Ryan bit his lip, looking at the crocodile tears forming in Summer's chocolate brown eyes, wondering whether he should comfort her or just let her muster up her strength.

"She's just one of those women you never forget," he said quietly, touching Summer's hair lightly.

"I'm sorry, I'm okay, I swear. I just got kind of choked up. I just never thought that anyone would, you know... while I was away."

She suddenly began to see herself as selfish and childish. She fled Newport because the problems of the little town seemed to great for her to handle. She never looked back because she knew moving forward was the right thing to do. Yet knowing that someone had died in her quest to move forward made the quest seem so stupid and infantile.

"You were away for a while..." Ryan started the thought, but didn't know how to finish.

Summer was quiet for a while, as if envisioning her whole life in San Francisco. The evidence of tears was gone from her eyes in an instant and instead they began to sparkle.

"Magical," she smiled. "Just magical."

XXX

He listened intently as she spun tales of Haight and Ashbury, of Union Square shopping sprees and of all the many adventures and misadventures on Castro Street. He laughed when she laughed. But mostly he just listened and stared at rapid movement of her pouty lips.

It had been a long time he stared at a woman that way. The only other woman he conversed with was Theresa and he didn't even have to look at her to know what she looked like. With his eyes closed, he could paint her every feature. He knew that, and half the time, he didn't even make eye contact with Theresa when they spoke.

But it had been so long since he last spent time with any other woman. With Summer only inches away, animatedly divulging details of her life, he couldn't help but stare.

And somewhere between the time he found out about her drunken trip to Alcatraz and the time she maxed out her credit card at Stanford Mall, he realized it. She was

"Beautiful," he thought out loud.

"So, like, I had no idea what to-" she paused realizing his interjection. "What?!" Puzzled, she stopped her story to stare at him questioningly.

"Uh, nothing." His eyes shifted away from her, darting around the room before focusing back on her dark eyes.

"Chino, you okay?" she asked, concerned. He felt like an idiot- since when was the connection between his brain and mouth faulty?

He nodded, though unconvincingly, encouraging Summer to continue with her story.

XXX

Chino was better than a diary. He listened to every detail of her stories- and she had quite a few. There were four whole years worth to tell him. But unlike a normal diary of lines and scented paper, he was human. He laughed at the funny parts and his bright blue eyes turned warm and sympathetic at all the right times.

And yes, his bright blue eyes weren't that bad to look at.

Actually, maybe it was just the fact that they had been separated for so long, but from the moment Summer saw him at the entrance of the mall, she couldn't help but notice that Ryan was looking good.

Really good.

Was this what fatherhood did to men? Ordinarily, she would have leaned in a little more while she talked. Flipping her hair and making sure her lips looked extra pouty. But this was Chino after all. And she was Summer. So it was useless... right?

Besides, his daughter was in the next room.

Ella, Ella. She was one of the best children Summer had ever met- not that Summer really spent that much time with small children. Usually, she couldn't stand to be around them for too long because... well, who in their right mind spends free time with a 4 year old? But Ryan's four year old was something else. She had an amazing charisma, a will to shop and the most beautiful blue eyes ever. Just like her father. The one that Summer couldn't stop thinking about.

But again, she reminded herself that he was a _father._

So she continued on with her tales anyway, so preoccupied in wondering whether it was okay to be attracted to him, that she didn't even notice the way he stared at her.


	7. Seven

Right around six, Orange County truly deserved its name. The sun was melting slowly beneath the horizon and tainted the once hazy blue sky with its deep tangerine dye.

The orange glow of sunset had always been Ryan's favorite time of the day.

Back in Chino it meant that all the other kids went into their homes and he could have some peace and quiet. With the Cohens, it was his time to be alone in the pool house and just stare out the windows. Solitude and sunset – two words that described his happiness.

But now, the sky was a deep orange, as if the sun was burning its surroundings, and Ryan was not alone. Inches away, a beautiful brunette sat nestled amongst the cushions of his couch, fidgeting with the toy between her fingers.

"You know, if you're not careful, you're going to hurt Bobby." At the sound of Ryan's voice, the girl let go of the doll. He smiled at how a woman his age could look so comfortable playing with a four year old's toys.

"Bobby?" Summer repeated, in confusion.

"The doll," he pointed out.

"Uh, I think you're confused. Like, this is so obviously a Barbie." She enunciated both syllables of the last word to an extreme. As if it were a foreign word that Ryan would have to learn.

If that was indeed what she thought, she was deeply mistaken. He was a father. Not only that he was a father to a daughter. A daughter that loved Barbies. A daughter that loved all things pretty. He not only know a Barbie, but he knew all of Barbie's friends, her boyfriend Ken, her little sisters, her dream house, car and Princess outfits.

Not that he was going to tell Summer any of that.

"That was Ella's first Barbie. She couldn't say her R's when I got her the doll." He smiled. "The rest of them are all named Barbie though."

"Aww..." Summer cooed. "That's so sweet."

Ryan made a face. He hated sounding "so sweet" to people. Just because he had a daughter (who was a complete angel) it didn't mean that his persona had changed much. The monotonous clothing, the worn wrist cuff and scuffed boots were still him. There may be a soft fluffy center to him now, but Ryan still enjoyed being rough around the edges.

He wondered which part of him Summer saw. Apparently, she was peeking into the soft fluffy part now and that began to worry him. He certainly wouldn't mind if Summer peeked other parts of him... Oh Ryan, mind out of the gutter. He liked being tough, he liked people knowing he was tough. He was the protector – not the one needing protection. He wanted Summer to see that.

He wasn't sure why, but he really wanted Summer to see that.

XXX

If someone had bet her a million dollars that she would ever see the boy who punched Luke talk about Barbies, she wouldn't have taken it. Gladly, no one ever made her that bet.

Summer, holding Barbie-Bobby, in between her French manicured fingers, stared intently at Ryan. His eyes were fixed on the doll between her fingers. It was his daughter's favorite. Ah, Summer. He has a daughter. Why are you still staring at him with your heart beating that quickly?

"Does Bobby have a Ken?" Summer asked innocently, unconsciously batting her eyelashes. She couldn't tell, but she felt Ryan notice the flirtatious gesture.

"No," he shook his head in reply, lips twisted in a half smile.

"Yeah, Ella probably shouldn't be learning about men yet." Summer rolled her eyes. "She has, like, another eight years to figure out that they suck."

"Eight years?" Ryan replied in surprise.

"Yeah, you know. Twelve years old is the time that it all starts happening. The hormones, the growing, the becoming a woman. Woo hoo!" she explained, smiling.

He clasped his hands over his ears. "Shut up, that's my baby you're talking about!"

"Whatever, Chino. I know what you were doing when you were twelve!"

"What?!" His voice said he was surprised, his blue eyes told of guilt. She saw the guilt instantaneously and began to giggle to herself.

Years ago, Marissa had told her that Ryan had a lot of sexual experience- Seth may have mentioned it before too. Summer always suspected that Ryan had been getting it on before he was old enough to really understand how "getting it on" worked. Her suspicions only heightened with his pregnant girlfriend from Chino. And now, she finally had confirmation.

Twelve. Twelve! At twelve, Summer had her first kiss with Theo Michaels behind the bleachers of the Junior High Gym. It was awkward and slobbery and at the time, she never wanted to do it again. It was wrong for kids to have sex at twelve. Sex had yet to cross her mind at that age.

It was crossing her mind now.

That was wrong too.

XXX

A whimpering sound escaped from the bedroom, causing Ryan to jerk up in recognition of his daughter's presence.

Ella. How had she slipped his mind? She never slipped his mind. Wasn't that impossible for fathers? Ryan wanted to hit himself. He had been nothing but purely selfish this whole day. For the first time since she was born, she wasn't his top priority. He felt like he betrayed her.

"Is that-?" Summer looked nervously behind her towards the hallway that lead into Ryan's room.

"Yeah, I should get her." He didn't want to tell Summer how badly he felt at that moment. He didn't have to though, because whether he knew it or not, his eyes revealed it all.

"I should go, you need time with her." She said quietly, reverting into someone shy and meek, a side of Summer Ryan had never seen before. He felt as though he had somehow caused it. But as quickly as he began to refocus his thoughts on Summer, they shifted back to his daughter.

He moved to stand up and Summer followed suit.

They were standing directly in front of the other. Despite her platform shoes, he was still a good deal taller than she. It was an automatic ego boost for him. The Atwoods were short- it was a fact. His girlfriends were usually pretty tall, which annoyed him slightly. Summer was a great height for a girlfriend.

No, he was meant to be thinking about his daughter.

Just as he moved to step forward, Summer began to move as well. They collided briefly, chests bumping slightly. 

"Sorry," she squeaked automatically.

He looked down at her wide Bambi brown eyes. She was staring upwardly at him, through her thick eyelashes. They closed slowly as he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. But just as quickly as the kiss had come, it was over. Ryan pulled away, eyes wide in shock at what had just happened.

Looking at Summer, he knew it was the wrong move. Her brow crinkled in confusion. He scolded himself silently. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot.

"I..." she stammered. "I gotta go." Turning away from him she scampered through the living room and out the front door before he could say good bye.

What had he done?

Sighing, he headed into his bedroom where at least one beautiful brunette loved him.

XXX

In a BMW downstairs, a brunette sat in the driver's seat in shock. Not knowing whether to be happy that he kissed her or devastated that he pulled away so quickly.

What had he done?

She could feel her emotions entangling themselves around one another. Confusion mixed with longing which clung onto hope that coiled around lust.

Sighing, she drove off. But promised to come back. She needed to figure out what that kiss was about.


	8. Eight

Ryan was in the kitchen, adding powdered sugar atop Mickey Mouse shaped strawberry jam pancakes. It was a little over ambitious for breakfast, but his daughter only had breakfast with him two days out of a week. The effort was worth it.

He still wasn't sure if it was worth Theresa's annoyed voice though.

"Ryan, make her cereal. She has cereal with me five days of the week. And strawberry jam pancakes will make her hate me for giving her cereal."

He couldn't help but smile though. Theresa herself craved his breakfast specialty while she was pregnant. This morning the pancakes were a little lopsided though. And maybe just a little bit on the overcooked side. Just a bit. He had things on his mind.

Actually, he had Summer on his mind.

That kiss the night before still haunted him. He wasn't sure whether he was glad it happened or not. On the one hand, it was Summer and she was the spoiled rich girl from high school, and he probably shouldn't have been kissing her anyway. But on the other hand, she was the first woman that he had talked to in a while. And they had laughed and she had listened and there was something there. A connection.

XXX

The blankets smothered her face, but she could feel the morning light seeping through her curtains. It wasn't that she was a light sleeper. In fact, she was one of those people that could probably sleep through a hurricane. But she was awake now, trapped in her state of wonder that kept her up half the night.

She was thinking about him and his blue eyes and his baby girl and his kiss.

Not in that particular order, but those were the images that traversed through her mind. And the worst part was that each time an image of him would pass through, she would be even more confused than before.

She didn't want to pretend that she didn't have a great time talking to him, because she did. She really wanted to do that again- the talking part. He actually listened to her San Francisco stories. He was the only person who had done that so far. She really liked that.

At the same time she didn't want to go through the trouble of pretending that the kiss didn't happen. Because she would have to if she intended on keeping up with the talking part of the deal. It would be far far far too awkward to be comfortable and open with a guy like Ryan with the unspoken motivation behind the kiss lingering around them.

And really, she had enjoyed the kiss. She didn't want to pretend that it never happened. It was nice. His lips, they were nice. Really nice.

But he had a daughter and he had a girl who was his daughter's mother and before all that, he had been her best friend's boyfriend.

So he was off-limits. Off-limits to the nth power.

The two of them would probably just decide that the kiss was a fluke and that it never actually happened. Yeah, that was something that they could both do. They were from Newport- pretending was a way of life.

And since they were both decidedly gong to pretend their way through a normal friendship, it wouldn't hurt if she called him today right? Maybe stopped by his apartment. She could play with Ella.

Ella was a sweet girl. She would love Princess Sparkle. Oh wait, she was four. Princess Sparkle would be too much for her. A Barbie, Summer could offer the little girl a Barbie or two.

There, she'd call Ryan and visit with a Barbie for Ella.

The day's plan was hatched. Summer finally pushed the blankets away from her face, ran her fingers through her dark hair and decided to look for an outfit to wear to Ryan's.

XXX

"Daddy, what are we doing today?"

The strawberry jam pancakes had brought a huge smile to his sleepy daughter's face. But in less time than it took for the Dora the Explorer episode to finish, the food had vanished.

She was a growing girl.

Ryan smiled to himself, looking at his messy haired little girl. There was still a tinge of sleep in her eyes, but she looked satisfied with traces of powdered sugar lining her mouth.

"I want to go to the beach." Ella announced, noticing her father's lack of response. "Can we, Daddy?"

Her voice was full of excitement, it was impossible for Ryan not to break into a smile. Her wide eyes were hopeful and she clasped her hands together to complete the begging effect. It was a wonder that she didn't own half the known world already. He'd give her anything.

"The beach?" he feigned doubt. "Are you sure?"

"Yes!" she jumped out of her chair and threw her arms in the air.

"I don't know…" He pretended to be deep in thought as she threw herself against his leg and hugged tightly.

"Please, Dad? Please, please?" She hugged tighter and Ryan got the feeling that he wouldn't have his leg back until he said yes.

"If you really want to, then we'll go."

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" She squealed. He leaned down to muss her hair as she danced happily in a circle.

"Why don't you let me finish my coffee in here and go watch Nickelodeon for a while? We'll get ready afterwards, ok?"

"Sure, Dad," she called over her shoulder and she started flipping channels on the tv. "Oh yeah, why don't you bring your friend, Summer? She's pretty."

Ryan opened his mouth to reply, but by then Ella was too engrossed with the show on tv. That sure was an odd suggestion from her.

Well, at least he and his daughter thought alike.

XXX

"Hey Ryan, I was in the neighborhood and wanted to say hi. Do you have plans for today? If you want we could…"

"Hi Ryan, what's up? I had fun yesterday and wanted to stop by…"

"Hey, wasn't yesterday fun? Do you have anything planned for today because I was thinking…"

Summer mumbled incoherently to herself as she stood outside the door to Ryan's apartment. She had parked well over ten minutes ago but for some reason she had about as much courage as the Lion from Wizard of Oz.

Ah, what the hell.

She knocked lightly on his apartment door, praying that by some miracle the right words would come to her when he opened the door.

"Summer?" His voice was deep and gruff and something smelled really tasty in the apartment.

"Ryan," her voice came out high pitched and squeaky. "Hi." With her left hand, she gave a little wave. Realizing how dorky she probably looked, she quickly put her hands behind her back. Oh dear, this wasn't going well.

"What's up?" He asked, if she paid more attention to him she would have probably sensed that he was as nervous as she. But her head was busy trying to think of a way to invite him to spend the day with her.

"Just wanted to stop by," she said nonchalantly. "Yesterday was fun and I was thinking that maybe we could do it again." She paused. "The hanging out part. I mean, the last bit, the kiss thing, that wasn't- well, it was fun, but- you know we shouldn't. Because, well- because."

What happened to all the eloquent sentence that she had been thinking of? Where did the casual invitation to hang out disappear to? She was babbling away like a nervous idiot and he just stood there, leaning against the doorframe. He stood there leaning against the door frame in a white wife beater looking really good.

All coherent thought fled her yet again. His eyes, they were so blue. She could swear that they were sparkling. And his lips, showing off his pearly whites in that cute smile. No wonder she couldn't speak properly around him.

"Summer?" He interrupted, her babbling was beginning to make him uncomfortable.

"I brought this for Ella!" she burst out. Quickly, she peered into her purse and pulled out a Malibu Barbie.

At that moment, Ella bounded towards the door in her bathing suit. Her face brightened into a smile when she saw both Summer and the new Barbie.

"Summer brought a Barbie!" she exclaimed. "Isn't that awesome, Dad?"

Ryan glanced from one brunette to the other and gave a half smile.

"Oh Summer, come with us to the beach today? Please?" Ella gave the older woman another smile.

"Sure," Summer said. "That would be fun." She smiled at the little girl who had left the adults at the door and headed back inside the house with her new Barbie doll.

"I guess you're stuck with us for the day," Ryan grinned.

"I guess so," Summer replied, sharing his smile. Looking into his eyes, she realized how much she wanted to be stuck with Ryan for a day.

And as he noticed her staring at him, he thought the very same thing.


	9. Nine

**Sorry for the long delay. I've had college apps and what not to deal with. Another chapter will be up soon, I'm typing up the pages of handwritten story I have. Also, this chapter is kinda R rated with Ryan and Summer thinking. Oops. **

**Still don't own anything :o(**

It was Monday morning, and Summer headed down the familiar streets towards Ryan's apartment.

Summer ended up not only spending the day at the beach with Ella and Ryan, but she came back the day after and the day after. She was having fun, genuine honest fun. Ella was this package of bubbles, sprinkles and energy. Oh and she was quite the fashionista too. How could Summer not adore her?

She decided she would want her kids to be just like Ella.

Not that she's even thinking about kids yet, she's just graduated college and currently unemployed. Her dad offered to call some of his friends to see if they knew anyone in the fashion industry searching for a new marketing manager. She declined that offer pretty quickly. Daddy gave her everything, she didn't need him to give her a job as well.

She decided to drive up to LA that day to talk to some potential employers. That meant not spending the day with Ella or Ryan. Well, at least she could drop by to say hello for a little while.

She really liked being around them.

Being around Ryan.

They never mentioned the kiss, it would have been too awkward. He was a full-time student and an awesome father. He had enough to deal with. He didn't need a romance drama.

She knew that, but she still kind of liked him.

A lot.

It was past the blue eyes and broad shoulders, it was the way he always held the door open for her and the way he laughed when Ella mispronounced words and just the relaxed smile he wore all day long.

But Summer Roberts didn't like guys that she knew she wouldn't go for. And that meant not liking Ryan.

She sighed again, as she parked her car in front of his apartment complex.

XXX

Summer made her way towards the door, wondering how sad Ella would look when she said that Summer wouldn't be abe to spend the day. Vain as it sounded, Summer knew Ella liked her. And Summer loved it. She loved being needed. That's another reason she liked Ryan. He made her feel needed. But she didn't like Ryan like that.

"Dammit Roberts, you don't like him," she reminded herself as she knocked on the apartment door. "You don't. You don't. You don't."

It hadtaken on a chantingrhythim by the time the door knob twisted open.

OH GOD.

Ryan opened the door.And he wore nothing but a towel. A towel! Wet hair stuck to his forehead andlittle droplets of water landed on his chest. Oh my.

"Cut me a pieceof _that_." Summer's brain screamed.

"Hi," Ryan smiled sheepishly, one hand on the door frame, the other at the base of his hip holding up his towel.

Towel.Naked. Ryan. Hips. Summer's brain continued to ramble on, but luckily her lips wouldn't letter her speak.

"Come in," offered Ryan, noticing Summer's lack of words.

Summer took a step in though it wasn't her plan. She was suppose to say hello and leave. But her conscious thought had apparently flown out the window. Her brain was on repeat: Naked. Ryan. Naked. Ryan. Sex. Sex. Sex. Sex. Sex. Sex.

She was so blinded by this overwhelming nueorlogical activity that she just smiled as Ryan left her in the kitchen to go dress up.

XXX

"Oh God. What is Summer doing here?" Ryan wonders to himself for the thousandth time since he opened the door.

Ella had been picked up this morning. Theresa showed up with tired eyes and a box of doughnuts. Their daughter leapt into her mother's arms and talked non-stop about Daddy's new girlfriend until Ryan forcefully stuffed a Krispy Kreme into her mouth. Theresa smiled and winked at him.

Good luck, she mouthed as she guided their daughter out of the apartment.

Thanks, Theresa. Ryan thought sarcastically to himself. Now there's a drop dead gorgreous brunette in my kitchen and I have an appointment with Mr. Kingston in LA in half an hour.

He took a deep breath before moving but finally got himself into dark gray slacks and a black Lacoste shirt. Shaking the last of the water out of his hair, he made his way back to the kitchen.

There, Summere stood leaning against the counter.

God, she was hot. Her skirt today wasn't as short as usual but her legs still looked amazing.

Stop it!! Ryan told himsel. Look for car keys. Hm, Ryan knew something he could do in a car with Summer... Stop! He wasn't a horny, deprived sixteen year old anymore. He had more self control.

"So Sum, what's up?" he asked casually in a tone that said _hey we're friends _rather than _I want to jump your bones_.

"Chino, hey," she smiled, tossing her dark hair over her shoulder. She had really great hair. "Like, I've got these huge meeting things today. So I can't hang out. With you. And Ella. Acutally, I just stopped by to tell you and Ella that I'm sorry. I know that she's going home -"

"Today," Ryan interjected. "Theresa picked her up this morning. I thought I mentioned it." So Summer was just here to see Ella. Minus 20 points for Ryan's ego.

A blanket of awkwardness shrouded the room. Ryan wondered if he should try to crack a Seth Cohen-esque joke to ease the tension. He opted against that idea. Humor wasn't exactly his strongest suit.

"I've got to go soon. Heading to LA for a meeting with my thesis advisor." he blurted out suddenly.

"LA?" Summer smiled. "No way! That's totally where I'm heading."

"Yeah?" That was something Ryan hadn't expected. Maybe they could do something there. A date. A real date. The prospect sounded interesting and even if it wasn't a date, he wouldn't mind. Spending time with Summer was really fun.

"You know what, Chino?" Summer smiled, her eyes twinkling. "Since we're both heading to LA, I'll give you a ride." She bounded towards the door, leaving Ryan to stare at her rear end.

I'd definitely like to give you a ride. Ryan smirked.

Dammit mind, out of the gutter.


	10. Ten

**told you i'd update soon! i plan on finishing before the new year.. let's hope i make it. review please!**

**sadly, still don't own anything.**

Summer's meetings thoroughly sucked. No one wanted to hire a Newpsie. Especially not one straight out of college. No one.

What a miserable day.

She'd be home by now in her fleecy pink pajamas with a bowl full of Chunky Monkey if it weren't for her upcoming date with Ryan. That was basically the one thought that got her through the day of rejections and insults.

But apparently, Ryan's thesis advisor had shown up two hours late. And they were still in God knows where talking about how to build the next Coliseum. Or whatever.

So Summer was stuck at the Barnes and Noble of Beverly Center, just killing time. She couldn't really complain that much though. She had been the one to offer Ryan the ride to LA, and well, she really was looking forward to their dinner together.

But now she was stuck waiting for his stupid meeting to end, and she was at the lame book store. Poor Los Angelenos, how did they survive without a West Coast Plaza of their own? Ok, Summer, you like books. Maybe you can find an interesting novel to pass the time. Yeah right. She'd have more chance being entertained by the children's books.

Children's books, that reminded Summer of Ella. Maybe she could find something for Ella. Or Ryan, even. It could be her little gift to him on their date.

Great, now even shopping related to him. Damn him for being such a great listener, such a gentleman, such a hottie. Ooh, Mediterranean Villas: The Best by the Beach. Ryan had mentioned something about Mediterranean styl houses when they were at the beach the other day. This seemed cool. Summer adored the Mediterranean. She could so see herself there. With Ryan.

XXX

_"Sum, I'm home!" Summer blinked twice before shielding her eyes from the afternoon sun. Clad in her favorite pink bikini, she leapt of the lounge chair she had been tanning on to go greet her husband._

_Ryan stood on the far end of the patio and smiled as she hurried towards him. She wrapped both arms around his neck, greeting him welcome home. In return, he placed a soft kiss on her mouth and held her close._

_"Daddy!" a voice squealed out of nowhere. "Mom, Daddy's home!" Ella appeared from inside the house and attacked the couple, hugging their legs tightly._

_"Ah, this is the life," Ryan sighed. "The Mediterranean Sea, our house, my baby and you, Summer…"_

XXX

"Summer?" Ryan's voice seemed closer now. "Summer!"

"Huh? What?" she mumbled against the cover of the hardbound book she'd been asleep against. Oh, that was a dream. That bites. "Hey Chino," she greeted unenthusiastically.

"Hey, you okay?" He asked, resting his hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah. Tired." She half-said, half-yawned. It was an obvious statement.

"Bad day?" he raised an eyebrow.

"You have no idea." She gave him a look. Their eyes met, his darkened blue and hers a waking brown. "Let's get out of here."

XXX

Summer drove around for a while, as Ryan named kinds of restaurants they could eat at. Actually, Summer named kinds of restaurants they could eat at and Ryan rejected her ideas.

"Chino, I swear, if you don't pick a restaurant…" she threatened, giving him a harsh glance from the driver's seat. Ryan had definitely heard enough about Summer's rage blackouts to know that he didn't want to fall victim to one.

"Italian?" he blurted out. Where had that come from? Ryan didn't even like Italian food that much. In truth, he was actually in the mood for Chinese. Orange chicken and fried rice sounded really good. But he had already given Summer a decision, he'd feel stupid to change his mind.

"Okay, there we go," Summer smiled. She had a really great smile. "I know a place."

Within minutes, they were seated at one of Beverly Hills' finest Italian bistros. Ryan looked around and admired the place. It was nice. Really nice. The kind of nice that Ryan wasn't used to since moving out of the Cohens. The kind of nice that Ryan couldn't afford since moving out of the Cohens and supporting a four year old. Dammit. Chinese wouldn't have been this expensive.

They stared at the menus for a while and ended up ordering simple dishes. Had Summer sensed Ryan's financial crisis? Maybe she just had simple tastes? Yeah right, not this Summer.

The quiet between them grew.

"So, how'd your interviews go?" he asked when the silence became unbearable.

"Terrible. These stupid elite asses!" Summer spat out. Ah, so that's why she was so quiet.

"What happened?"

"Nothing! They just looked over my resume and note that I'm from Newport. And that I just graduated. And then they ignore the Magna Cum Laude stuff and decide, like, hey, you're hot and all, but we totally don't like you. So, buh-bye."

"Magna Cum Laude?!" Wow, who knew Summer was that smart? Not that he ever thought she was stupid, but she just seemed like a girl that was very street smart and not very, uh, school smart.

"Yeah, school was way more competitive than I thought it would be." She made a face and continued with her salad.

"Uh, Sum, Magna Cum Laude is amazing."

"I could have gotten Summa Cum Laude if I focused more on Marketing than I did on those stupid Pre-Med requirements." Again, a face before continuing with her salad.

"Pre-Med?" Okay, Ryan was impressed with the Magna Cum Laude. But Pre-Med at the same time? And he thought he knew her. She was downright intimidating. Not that her sex appeal wasn't already intimidating, but damn.

"Yeah, Daddy made me." She rolled her eyes. "Don't ever make Ella follow in your footsteps. It's just not a great way for her to start out life."

"Ella, undergrad architecture student with a kid." Ryan smirked. "Definitely not."

Summer turned slightly pink. "That's not what I meant. Just that Daddy wants me to be. And you'd want Ella to do. Uh, like proffesion." Her sentences were short and unfinished, but Ryan got the point.

"I know what you meant," he said. "Ella can be whatever she wants to be. I just want her to have a better life than me and Theresa did. As long as she doesn't have to worry about all the stuff that we did, I know she'll be fine." He looked at Summer and gave her a half-smile.

"Aww," she cooed. "That's so sweet. You're like the best dad." Ugh, definitely not something Ryan wanted to hear on a date. Sigh, that's what you get for being twenty two and a dad.

XXX

The rest of the dinner was spent discussing Ryan's economics thesis. He was an architecture major, but decided to minor in economics to make sure he understood the business angle of it all. Especially when he started his own firm, his current dream.

They left the restaurant, full and happy, and decided to continue the evening by heading towards a bar.

It was a pretty decent place, the music could have been better but asides from that the atmosphere was nice and so was the bartender. The bartender was really nice, actually. Especially to Summer. An unfamiliar feeling crept into Ryan's stomach as he watched the bartender chuckle as he handed Summer her fourth (fifth?) drink of the evening.

Was that jealousy?

No, why would Ryan be jealous if some guy was flirting with Summer. They were on a date as friends. It's not like she was his girlfriend. Well, she was his friend. And she was a girl. A really pretty girl and sexy, too.

Ryan had not been able to stop staring at her since dinner. Her smoky eyes had just a tinge of sadness in them, probably due to the day's interviews, but they were sad nonetheless. And Ryan just wanted to hold her in his arms and kiss her til she felt better. Or just kiss her. And keep kissing her.

"Chino!" she screeched into his ear.

"Hey Sum," he rubbed his ear as he watched her get comfortable in the seat next to him.

"Mai Tai?"

"Yeah!" she giggled. "The bartender added extra shots for me." Her word's started to slur together. She was definitely well on her way to getting drunk.

Ryan was much more sober, he'd been nursing the same Corona since they got there. And to tell the truth, he was slightly taken aback by Summer's intoxication. He never figured her as a drinker. She wasn't Marissa.

"Summer, is this your fourth drink?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah," she sighed. "I know. No tolerance. I don't drink! That was always Coop's department!" She giggled some more. Oh boy.

"So what's with the Mai Tai?" he gestured towards the pink drink with the yellow umbrella in it.

"Isn't it totally cute?' she held it up to eye level. "It's helping me forget those asses who interviewed me today. Like I want to work for them anyway!" Her eyes flashed with pain and she looked genuinely sad for a moment. Her bottom lip quivered and Ryan fought the urge to kiss her right then. Instead, he watched as she gulped down the contents of her glass.

"Ryan," she whispered, leaning into him. He could smell the fruity drink off her lips. Any closer and he'd be able to taste it. Not that he wanted to, he'd rather just taste Summer.

"You okay?" he asked, placing a hand on her arm. She smiled, taking his hand in her own.

"I'm great," she smiled. "You're great too. That's why I like you." She began to giggle again. "I totally like you." Ryan's eyes flashed with surprise hearing her say that. Trying to stand up, Summer collapsed against his chest and he held her close before steadying her.

Okay, forget what she just said. Ryan told himself. She's drunk.

"Sum, give me your keys. I'm taking you home." He told her, placing an arm around her waist. A few years ago, this would have been Ryan's idea of a good opportunity. A woman with amazing legs and great cleavage, too drunk to stand on her own.

But he was responsible now. Hell, he was a parent now.

He was taking Summer home and putting her to bed – the bed with the Barbie bed sheets.


	11. Eleven

**finished, happily, before new year's. epilogue to come.**

**disclaimer: no ownership of the o.c. but this is a futurefic so i took a lot of shall we say, creative license.**

Luckily, Summer stayed conscious long enough to get her into the front seat of the BMW. Ryan felt a little awkward searching through her purse for car keys, but he knew that if he didn't they'd be stranded til morning. The dinner and the drinks cost him left him with four dollars and change in his wallet – definitely not enough to catch a cab back to Newport.

In the driver's seat, Ryan spilled the contents of Summer's tiny black bag. He was slightly relieved that the only thing inside asides from keys were a wallet, random make up products and her cell phone.

The drive home was quiet. Ryan wondered whether to turn on the radio but decided against it, afraid that it might wake Summer.

She slept peacefully next to him, leaning against the car door with her hair strewn all over her face. Ryan shook his head sadly. He definitely had some weird magnetic attraction to women who drank. Maybe it had to do with the saying that men look for women like their mothers…? No. Ryan would never end up with anyone like his own mom.

Summer was definitely nothing like his own mom. (Well, except for the drunk thing.) Asides from that, Summer was incredible. Vivacious. Ryan smirked, he had learned the word a long time ago in an English class in Chino. He never really understood what it meant. Until he met Summer. Even when he didn't like her – for that bitchy demeanor and well, the bitchy demeanor, he knew that she embodied that word entirely.

Looking at her now, he got that weird feeling in his stomach again. It wasn't the same as the envy that he felt inside the bar – yes, he was willing to admit that it had been envy. It was something entirely different.

He had been feeling it for days now.

Was it…? Could it be…?

No. Of course not. Ryan stopped having crushes in the seventh grade. He couldn't possibly have a crush. That was such a pre-teen concept.

Ooh, you have a crush on her.

I don't, Ryan told himself. But the feeling in his stomach didn't go away. And the urge to stare at the beautiful brunette next to him, that was thickening with every mile they drove. He wanted to turn to her, wake her with a kiss and just…

"No," Ryan scolded himself out loud.

For four years there had been only one girl on his mind. Ella. She was his world and his light and his safety. And well, there was Theresa but that's because Theresa would always be his best friend. They tried the relationship thing, but even then Ryan never went through that inexplicably real feeling of a dozen hummingbirds having a party in Ryan's stomach.

Okay, so maybe Ryan liked Summer.

Okay fine, maybe he liked her a lot.

Maybe you could even call it a cru-

"No!" Ryan insisted.

"No, what?" at the sound of her voice, the car swerved slightly. "Chino, what's going on?"

XXX

The car was moving pretty smoothly, but not smoothly enough for Summer's stomach. Oh God, alcohol was bad.

"Do you have to go so fast?!" she whined, squinting at Ryan. He was driving her car, that much she understood. How she got in the car, or why she had let him drive her car, that was way beyond her.

Wait a minute, she never let anyone drive her car. Never. It was her baby. Her beautiful sleek, silver, six cylinder engine, two door baby. She never let anyone drive it. Not even Chino. Even though, he looked damned good in it.

Mmm, those blue eyes looked yummy.

"What?" Ryan sounded positively panicked. Oh, Summer, did you say the last part out loud. Was there no connection between her brain and her mouth? Bad alcohol. Bad, bad alcohol.

"Drive. Slower." She took her time letting the words come out, in fear that anything unwanted would spill into the open and add to the mess of a day. Stupid day. Stupid, stupid day.

"Sum, I'm at forty miles per hour and the speed limit is sixty five." Ryan explained, his voice smooth and even. She loved his voice. It was so sexy. Hopefully she wouldn't let that slip out of her mouth.

"Stupid alcohol," she murmured.

"You okay?"

"Fabulous. Like, how else would I be after four, eight pitchers or shots of vodka, gin, whatever that was and then stuck in the car of me to go really, really fast?" she slurred sarcastically, not fully realizing what she was saying.

He laughed. He laughed but it was obvious that he was trying not to and she thought he looked so cute like that. Laughing, driving her car and being next to her.

XXX

Summer opened her eyes to a face full of pink and purple. But when she pushed back the sheets, she quickly realized that she wasn't in her own bed.

She sat up in alarm, quickly surveying her surroundings, but with a quiet groan her head thudded back against the pillow. Oh her head. Throbbing piercing pains surged from her temples to the nape of her neck. Pain, pain, pain.

Leaning against the pillow, decorated with Barbie's bright, smiling face, Summer quickly recollected the nights before.

The dinner was still clear in her mind, as was the amusing banter she shared with Ryan. The bar was a little less clear but she did recall pink drinks with yellow umbrellas. She wasn't really sure how she got into her car, but she did have a few freeze frames in her mind of Ryan driving. Damn, he looked good driving. His hair in his face just slightly, his jaw relaxed, his blue eyes sparkling in the moonlight.

Oh, right, recalling last night's events. Well, the memories after the car were all vague. She remembered that Ryan carried her up to his apartment. Unconsciously, she rubbed the spot on her neck where his strong hands had cradled her.

She remembered lying there and dragging his face towards her. And.

Oh God.

You kissed him.

You kissed Ryan Atwood. And it was good.

XXX

Ryan had gotten up early that morning. It was Tuesday and Tuesdays he ran. He didn't really have a specific reason for doing it. He was in shape anyway. And he didn't particularly like running. But it was something he had gotten used to doing, so he did it.

His run today hadn't been that great. It didn't help that he had gotten home well past midnight last night. And it certainly didn't help that Summer, the curvaceous, vivacious, doe eyed dark haired, Summer was asleep in his apartment.

They had kissed.

He had carefully cradled her out of the car and carried her up to his apartment. She was surprisingly light. Not that it was that much of a surprise considering how short she was, but the last grown woman Ryan had carried was Theresa's mother when she broke her hip. And Mrs. Martinez didn't exactly have a model physique.

After placing her on Ella's bed, pulling off her Jimmy Choos, awkwardly stripping of Summer's skirt and replacing it with sweats, that was when Summer regained consciousness.

"Chino," she smiled, her eyes misty and her voice melodic. And before, Ryan could find the words to tell her to go to sleep, she snaked her arms around his neck and brought his mouth down to meet hers.

Her mouth was soft. Salt water taffy soft. Cotton candy soft.

And there was that feeling in his stomach again. This time there was no denying it. Maybe it wasn't exactly a conventional crush, but titled or untitled, Ryan liked Summer. A lot. And thankfully, the kiss proved that the feeling was mutual.

XXX

"Chino?" Summer called out as she stepped into the kitchen. He was standing at the counter with a bowl of Cheerios in front of him and the carton of milk by his hand. It was obvious that he had just had a shower. Wet hair was plastered to his scalp and he stood in just a wife beater and jeans.

"You okay?" he asked, looking up from his food.

No, my head hurts like a mother. And my stomach is in knots. And I think I kissed you last night. Summer wanted to say all of that. It was the first thing that popped into her head and decidedly the most honest, but she didn't.

She just nodded.

"Chino, we…" she trailed off, the throbbing in her head was getting to be a little much.

"You're hungover." Man, he was great at stating the obvious. Maybe next time he could try something like Summer, you're a brunette. As if she didn't already know.

Okay, she was crabby in the morning. But she didn't snap at him when he offered her a cup of coffee. Even though she never took it black and usually never drank it unless she knew exactly where the beans came from. Instead, she just smiled and sipped.

"Sorry about last night," she mumbled into the cup.

"It's really okay," he replied. "You had a rotten day."

"Yeah, but like, I didn't want you taking care of me and all that," she shot back. Her face softened before she added, "I can take care of myself."

"You probably can. I just helped." He was pouring milk into his cereal. His muscles rippled nicely with every movement. There was a familiar flock of butterflies in Summer's stomach. He looked so good.

"Uh, Chino… When I was, you know, last night.. Did I..? Did we…"

"Kiss?" he filled in the blank, as a slight pink flushed over his cheeks. She had never seen him embarrassed like this before. He looked a lot younger. Well, not really younger. He looked her age for once. It was a drastic change from the forty year old face he carried around.

"Yeah," she could feel her cheeks heating up as she replied.

"Yeah." He spoke with little emotion, but as he did, his eyes searched for reaction in hers. Doubting himself once again, he wanted to be reassured that she had kissed him because she wanted to. That it wasn't just the alcohol acting out.

"Oh." There was a slight twinkle in her eye, then a tinge of embarrassment.

"Yeah."

And the huge blanket of awkwardness and tension fell upon their shoulders.

XXX

They finished their breakfasts slowly. Spoonful after spoonful of cereal seemed to take an eternity. But finally their bowls were empty and they ended up side by side at the sink. It was a whole new sort of weird for both of them.

Ryan knew that being around Summer was good for him. Even his four year old daughter could see that. Summer was fun and relaxed and Ryan needed to be around fun and relaxation a lot more. She was also gorgeous. The hair, the legs, the eyes, the lips. Given the chance, Ryan would stare at her forever. He stared at her for a good portion of the night, even when she did nothing but sleep. And then there was that feeling, the one in his stomach that he couldn't control. He liked her; there was no doubt.

Summer had always thought Ryan was sexy. He had that bad boy attitude and the telling eyes. And in the past few days, he became her friend. Sure she had lots of friends in Newport, but Ryan wasn't like any of them. When she told stories of San Francisco, he listened. Really listened, not just pretended to hear and nod and smile. He seemed interested. And he cared. He was just so… caring. Be it with Ella or with Summer, he honestly genuinely cared. And she liked that about him. She liked so many things about him. She just… She liked him.

Now, they didn't know what to do. There was quiet surrounding them and the thoughts of the night before still lingered in their minds. Did the other feel the same? Which one of them had the courage to speak first? In the end, it was Summer.

"Look, Chino," she tried to sound confident and self assured. "Last night, I was pretty drunk,"

Ryan could feel his heart going a thousand beats a minute and his stomach twist in knots. This was the part where she told him that it had all been one big mistake.

"But the, uh, the… kiss," she continued on. "That was real."

"Real?" he echoed, staring at her. She was chewing on her bottom lip but she looked up at him through her eyelashes and in her eyes, he could see she was telling the truth.

His stomach was doing that funny thing again. She liked him. She really honestly liked him.

"Real."

Summer took a step in closer to him. He could smell the lilac scent of her shampoo along with vague traces of last night's alcohol. It was an odd combination, but because it was Summer, he didn't mind. In fact, it made him smile.

He wasn't quite sure what to say, so instead he ran his hand along her arm. She broke into a smile, relieved that she wasn't the only one feeling the attraction. Her smile didn't last long, because soon his lips found their way to her mouth. As he kissed her, she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him in even closer.

"Wow," he murmured, finally pulling away. She broke into a grin. Wow, indeed.

_FIN_


End file.
